U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt stopped at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce on Friday to speak with local officials and businesspeople about government regulations following a tour of the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway, where he viewed progress on rebuilding the levee after last year's intentional breaches.

Blunt said work could move even faster with fewer government regulations.

Regulations, on businesses, as well on their environmental effects, according to Blunt, often do not show any benefit to a business or the environment when compared with the cost of compliance and the cost the government incurs to run regulatory agencies.

"We all want the goals those agencies want to pursue, but we also want them to make sense," he said.

Jackson Mayor Barbara Lohr told Blunt one she doesn't believe makes sense is a pending regulation on the city's sewer system, which she said would cause more stricter regulation of sewers than on the city's drinking water.

Blunt encouraged "voting for people that would create good regulators" in the November election, and although he said he was not in town to talk about politics, he did respond to a question about his recent call for U.S. Rep. Todd Akin to drop out of the Senate race after Akin commented last month that women's bodies could prevent pregnancy in case of "legitimate rape."

Local supporters of Akin say Blunt and other Republicans who have called for him to quit are going against democratic principles.

When Blunt was asked what he believed the relationship between himself and Akin could be like were Akin to beat Democrat incumbent Claire McCaskill, Blunt called Akin a "good man and a nice man" but said his statement that Akin should quit still stands.

"All my Republican predecessors in the Senate agree with me on that," he said. "But ultimately he has to make a decision and then voters have to make a decision."

Blunt called this year's presidential election the most important since 1980 and told business leaders that job creation could only be helped by a government that could create a business-friendly environment by reducing and eliminating regulations.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

125 E. Main St., Jackson, MO